


Gray

by Little_Stargazer



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-18 22:06:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16127693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Stargazer/pseuds/Little_Stargazer
Summary: Seven years ago, Kagome stumbled across the well that left her trapped in the past. When she is finally able to go back, she returns a changed person. She is stronger and braver, but she finds herself facing a terrifying fate. She must race against impending memory erasure to get unspoken feelings from her chest once and for all before they are lost in the gray of a new existence.





	Gray

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: Undecided
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners. 
> 
> Note:  
> [Slight] Non-canon. Specifics are in the bottom AN.

The hemming of her long skirt dragged across the concrete under her feet with each step she took forward. The rising sun in the distance lit up the empty and abandoned shrine, giving it the impression of it being so full of life, when, in reality, there was nothing there but her. The soft chirping of birds caught in her ears as the raven-haired woman came to a halt under the large tree residing on the old grounds. The noise served as a greeting to a brand new morning, the songs the birds sang ushering the warmth of the new day in.

Ever so slowly, she rose a hand. It wasn't long before a bird fluttered down and landed on her outstretched fingers. It chirped delightfully on its new perch before it began to preen its feathers, completely content in that moment. She smiled at the small creature before moving once more. The bird stayed put for a few more seconds before fluttering its wings and flying to a different spot.

She had made it to the stone stairs of the shrine before she stopped again, glancing down then with cerulean blue eyes.

"I used to be so envious of birds," she hummed softly, sitting down on the steps. She placed her chin on her palm, sighing and closing her eyes. "They're so free, and I wished to have that feeling of freedom for myself."

As she sat there, a figure appeared behind her. Silver locks caught in the wind, even as the figure came to a halt behind the small woman that was seated peacefully. Even though she knew he was there, she did not bother to move so much of an inch. Instead, she kept speaking as if no one else had even shown up.

"When I was younger, I didn't see much of a promise of happiness. It sounds a little sad, but I was okay with it. I was content with that life, because I had friends, and I loved them. I don't know what pulled me to the shrine that day," she said as if she was admitting to her past years.

Yes, that day so many years ago. That day when she was fifteen years old, and she had gotten pulled into the inky depths of that ancient well located in the well house of the shrine.

"I do know that if I had gone against my instinct, then I wouldn't be here now. I don't know where I'd be, or if I would still be that same girl who was so unsure of what tomorrow would bring her."

She opened her eyes and glanced down the dozens of stone steps, her attention focusing on nothing as she recalled her younger years.

_"I'm exhausted…" Kagome sighed, draping her weight half-heartedly over the back of the chair she stood behind. The skirt she wore lifted some, but she didn't pay it any attention. She swayed side to side for a bit before ceasing all movement when someone sat in the chair she was doubled over._

_She was certain she smelled awful due to the sweat sticking to her clothing. All she wanted at that point was a relaxing bath to wash the stench away, as well as to soothe her crying muscles. She moved her hands a bit, tangling them in the hair of her friend that now lounged in the chair she leaned over. She combed her fingers through the orange locks, brushing any and all tangles from them as she stood there._

_She was glad to be learning martial arts, but she wasn't thankful for the exhaustion that followed after._

_He remained still as she picked over his hair. Her fingers were nimble and careful with each movement as she repeated an action she would do to so many people if they allowed it. Once she had finished, she leaned forward and fell back into her slouched position with her arms stretched alongside his._

" _You're a fast learner," Chuuya muttered, taking a lock of her hair that had fallen over his shoulder between his fingers. He played with it a bit before releasing it as she stood up completely. "If you want, the next lesson can be pushed off for later."_

" _No," she shook her head firmly. "I'd rather not skip any, Chuuya." Her answer was certain as it came from her mouth. She stretched, raising her arms as high into the air as she could, and she gave a pleased whine at the feeling. "I'll see you tomorrow," she called over her shoulder as she made for the exit. "Same time!"_

If she had known those words would be the last ones she got to say to him, she would have put a little more thought into them, or maybe she would have just said nothing. Those words she had said then, they had ended up being nothing more than a lie, even if it had been unintended.

__

_The cool night air felt nice against her flustered cheeks. The air did wonders to make her feel a bit better, even though she had no idea where she was heading at that moment. She walked aimlessly, almost as though she was being guided by something unseen down an unfamiliar path._

_She walked for almost an hour before coming to a halt beside a large, stone staircase. She glanced up, her eyes searching for the end of the stairs as she stood there. Kagome bit into her lower lip to keep from heading up the stairs, swallowing down on the feeling she felt encouraging her to climb them._

_She stood there for several minutes, unable to turn her attention away from the pull she felt calling her up the stairs. After some effort, she finally managed to turn her attention away, and she urged herself to take that moment to leave the unfamiliar area._

_She left, this time out of her dazed state. The memory of the shrine burned in her mind, and she had to fight the urge to turn around and go back. There was a strong ache in her side, along her hip, but she paid it no attention._

_The night passed, but the thought of that shrine remained on her mind. That same tugging feeling pestered her for hours on end, and, come morning, she was frustrated by it._

_She decided to go back that day. She sent a text to Chuuya, informing him of the possibility that she might be late that day, before heading back to the old shrine. She remembered the route well, much to her surprise. This time when she got there, she had no hesitation in going up the steps._

_When she passed the final step, she was greeted by an aged and empty shrine. It looked like it had been abandoned for years. With it being as such, she explored the area without any fear of being caught trespassing._

_She went towards the small building last. The chains holding the doors sealed shut were broken and hanging half-way against the ground. It unraveled and clanged against the concrete when she gave a gentle tug to it. Now met with no resistance, the door creaked open and exposed a dusty room full of old artifacts and a wooden well._

_It was dark in there, even with the assistance from the natural light of the sun. Kagome pulled her phone from her pocket, using the light from the screen to guide her steps into the decaying building. It smelt of mold and mildew in there, and she lifted an arm to her nose and mouth in an attempt to keep from breathing in too much dust._

_An old book fell from a rotting shelf, the bang of it colliding against the floor making her jump and give a startled yelp. More dust rose into the air from the book, and it pulled her into a coughing fit. She dropped her phone as she fell backward, getting her feet tangled along snake-like vines. She groaned in muffled pain as she lifted her head, rubbing the area she had smacked against the floor._

" _Ouch…" she whined, pushing herself back onto her feet. Kagome decided on leaving then, and she started to search the darkened floors for her phone. She ended up searching around the well for the device, huffing when she struggled in finding it._

_As she searched by the well, every now and again, she could hear a faint scratching noise coming from deep inside the boarded up thing. It set her nerves alive. She kept telling herself it was just some kind of insect. The scratching persisted, over time growing louder and more urgent. As it went on, it began to sound like something was clawing at the underside of the lid on the well. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she started to feel like she had somehow entered a horror movie._

_A faint whispering noise sent a cold chill down her spine, and she froze all movement at hearing the crystal clear words of "_ _**the jewel** _ _." A scream rose up in her throat, but she bit down on it before it could tear free. She felt like any loud noise from her would somehow catch the attention of whatever lurked in the well. It added an extra sense of urgency to her search._

" _Come on, come on…" she grumbled under her breath. "Where is it?" After a few more minutes of searching, she finally found the device, due to an incoming call on it. She gripped it and stood back onto her feet, patting her clothes clean as she held her phone up far enough to see who was calling her._

_She saw the time on the screen, and she cursed at herself for wasting two whole hours exploring the shrine grounds. Just as she was about to answer the call, she heard the scratching much louder and clearer than before. A warm breeze rubbed against the back of her thighs. She turned around just in time to spot something white and hazy rising from the now-open well._

_Her feet refused to move as she remained glued to her spot out of terror. Whatever that thing was gripped her arms in a painfully tight hold. Just barely she could register the sound of her still-ringing phone clattering to the floor as she was yanked forward. A scream tore from her throat at last as her feet left the ground and she was tugged down the well by that creature._

In reality, if she had chosen to, she could have made an attempt to return there the moment she came back through the well. She could have explained what she had been through in those years, but she chose not to. When she came back, it was a chance for her to start over with her life, or that was what it seemed like to her.

A life free from the burdens of her childhood, free of the pain of an abandoned existence. It took her being pulled into a separate time to learn that was what she had wanted all along. It took drastic changes for her to come to a simple realization.

She stood up, finally turning to acknowledge the silver-haired demon lurking behind her. "Hello, Sesshoumaru-sama. Don't you think the weather is nice today?" she asked, walking by him with a skip to her step. "How have you been in the weeks you've been absent? I trust you've been well, at least?"

She received a hum of greeting in return. "I hold more interest in how you are fairing, Miko," he stated. His voice was cold as he said those words, and Kagome let out a sigh.

"I'm fine, jeez," she muttered. "I got everything under control, you know. Nothing's gonna happen."

He narrowed gold eyes at her back. "I find myself unable to trust your words."

She sighed louder this time. She could understand why he felt the need to say such things to her, but she wasn't able to appreciate them. "I'm not lying, really! Anyway... you could tell if I was."

Though obviously annoyed by her, he ended up agreeing with her words. He watched her movements as she stepped away from him, watching her closely for any strange features.

"Do you think there is any reason for regret, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked abruptly. The words startled him, and for a brief few seconds, that astonishment showed on his usually blank features. He willed the look away as he focused on her now-still figure. Something in her voice called for him to answer, and he did as such.

"Regrets are pointless in the end. No amount of regret will ever change what has happened," he said as he began to approach the small woman. "If you are asking if you, specifically, should hold regret, then no."

"Why do you think so?"

"There is nothing for you to regret. You cannot regret things you never had a choice in."

"Ah, kinda dramatic to say it like that," she huffed, pursing her lips together in an annoyed pout. "But…" There was something in her voice that called his attention towards her again, and he glanced at her with wariness flowing through him. There was a sorrowful smile present on her features. "I suppose you're right, after all. You can regret choices you make, but attempting to regret something you could never choose is pointless."

So, that posed another question to her. Did she regret the choice she had made following her return to her rightful time? The choice she made to leave everything and everyone behind?

She felt that on some level, she did, but she knew that feeling could never change anything. Yes, she did feel regret for it, but she also felt as though it was for the better. It'd be painless for them. She'd shoulder the pain alone if it meant they would never know the truth.

Kagome lifted a hand and pressed the pads of her fingertips to the swell of her left breast. If she tried to go back, she'd only serve to cause more complications. She was no longer that girl. She didn't belong in that place, not anymore. Before long, there would be no traces of that girl left, not even if someone searched and hunted through her mind.

She turned to face Sesshoumaru, pulling a beaming smile back onto her face as she spun in a circle. "The weather is so nice, huh?" she called out with a chipper laugh falling from her lips.

"... Yes, it is."

**Author's Note:**

> In this fic, Kagome is a friend of Chuuya from before he joined Port Mafia. She was an orphan, and she didn't grow up on the shrine. At 15, she went "missing" when, in reality, she was pulled down the well. She was trapped there and unable to return for five years. She went home when she was 20, where she took to living in secret at the abandoned shrine. She is now 22.
> 
> Also, it's been a while since I posted anything on here. It'll take me some time to get used to everything.


End file.
